Automatic auction bid cancellation method and system

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of processing an online auction event in a computer network environment, wherein bids are blocked automatically from being considered a part of the auction should a bid be identified as within at least a preselected parameter identified by the seller when registering for the auction.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for controlling an auction event between a plurality of computer systems on a multi-user and interactive network, the method comprising the steps of: setting at least one parameter value for use in precluding submitted bids of one or more bidders by a seller identifying the parameter value when registering for an auction at one computer system; and, automatically precluding submitted bids from users at other computer systems on the network during the auction event that are identified by the set parameter value.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a seller sets the at least one parameter value by an item registration mechanism when registering the auction at the one computer system for the auction event.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the setting of the at least one parameter value and the registering for an auction event is achieved by allowing a seller to use a user interface.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising the step of configuring a bid monitoring mechanism with the set parameter value.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the set parameter value specifies a preclusion date attribute such that the bid monitoring mechanism will preclude submitted bids before the preclusion date during the auction.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the set parameter value specifies a preselected bid amount attribute wherein that the bid monitoring mechanism will preclude from consideration submitted bids below the preselected amount during the auction.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4  wherein a plurality of parameter values are set by the item registration mechanism for configuring the bid monitoring mechanism so that submitted bids will be precluded if at least one of the plurality of set parameter values is not identified by the bid monitoring mechanism during the auction.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the plurality of parameter values which are set relate to precluding submitted bids from being accepted during an auction by the auction manager.  
     
     
         9 . A computer system adapted for use in a network, the computer system comprising: a memory containing an item registration application which accepts user input regarding an auction, and a bid monitoring application, the bid monitoring application is configurable by user input to the item registration application; and, a processor which performs operations comprising: setting at least one parameter value for use in precluding submitted bids of one or more bidders by a user identifying the parameter when registering for an auction using the item registration application; and, automatically precluding bids from a user at another computer system on the network during the auction event that is identified by the set parameter value.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the at least one parameter value set by the item registration application is a preclusion date.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the at least one parameter value set by the item registration application is a preclusion bid amount.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the user sets a plurality of parameter values wherein one of the parameter values is a preclusion bid amount and a second parameter value is a preclusion date amount.  
     
     
         13 . A computer program product adapted to facilitate exclusion of bids automatically prior to bids being entered during an online auction on a computer network, the computer program product comprising: 
 a medium readable by a computer, the computer readable medium having a computer program code to: 
 allow an user to set at least one parameter value for use in precluding bids of one or more bidders by a seller identifying the parameter value when registering for an auction at one computer system on a network; and,  
 automatically precluding bids from users at other computer systems on the network during the auction event that are identified by the set parameter value.  
   
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein a user sets the at least one parameter value by an item registration mechanism when registering the auction at the one computer system for the auction event.  
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 13  wherein the setting of the at least one parameter value and the registering for an auction event is achieved by allowing a user to use a graphical user interface.  
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15  further comprising a bid monitoring mechanism that is configurable with the set parameter value.  
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 16  wherein the set parameter value specifies a preclusion date attribute such that the bid monitoring mechanism will preclude submitted bids before the preclusion date from being entered during the auction.  
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17  wherein the set parameter specifies a preselected bid amount attribute wherein that the bid monitoring mechanism will preclude from consideration bids below the preselected amount being entered during the auction.  
     
     
         19 . A computer network implemented method of processing an online auction event in a multi-user networked environment, between a plurality of bidder client computer systems, an internet service provider server computer system, and a seller at a client computer system, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving at the server a request from a seller client computer system for an auction to sell a good and/or service, the server comprising a main memory including: an item registration application and a bid monitoring application; a processor, and database storage for identifying and tracking files associated respectively with the seller and bidders;    receiving seller information at the server through the item registration application which information is stored in the database storage and at least one parameter value that is set by the seller and which set value is used for configuring the bid monitoring application; and,    monitoring submitted bids at the server from bidder clients by cross referencing the submitted bids in accordance with the set parameter value in the database for determining automatically if a submitted bid is to be automatically from being considered in the auction event.